The game's newly-added epic boss battles are the main exception to the tacked-on control wonkiness, since they are more seamlessly incorporated into these encounters. Early on, you'll face a vampire Meemoo who breaks into a swarm of bats that must be caught with your net and a yeti-creature that ices up your view and requires the screen be scraped off, among several other gargantuan adversaries. The only disappointing part of the otherwise cool boss battles is they're few and far between. What do appear all-too-frequently are incessant skydiving levels that have you controlling a downward falling Roogoo in a circular patter with the thumbstick. These rote airborne encounters mainly stick you with collecting block pieces, dodging mines, and shooting paratrooper Meemoos. They're slightly fun the first few times; you'll wish you could skip them every time after.

Twisted Towers does have some decent local multiplayer modes that are worth exploring (that's right; there's no online play). Split Screen Race pits two players against one another in a battle race to see who can cram all their shapes into the bottom platform the quickest. Random attacks handed out to players for doing well, letting the competition get nasty if you choose. Party Play lets you engage in multiple group mini-games with up to four players taking up different roles. Also, anyone who owns Roogoo Attack on the DS can synch the two games to unlock extra levels in the Wii version. You probably won't want to bother picking up both games, but the extra stages are worth unlocking if you know someone with the game.

Most of the main elements in Twisted Towers that were carried over from the original Roogoo are still quite good. The puzzle gameplay is definitely solid, though the extra tacked-on mini-game and control elements hamstring the game's momentum. Repetition also sets in sooner than it should for a game with over 100 levels. If you don't have the means to play Roogoo on PC or Xbox LIVE, then Twisted Towers will do in a pinch, but prepare for a huge dose of overstimulation.

By
Nathan Meunier
CCC Staff Contributor

RATING OUT OF 5

RATING DESCRIPTION

3.5

GraphicsCute, colorful, and simple.

3.0

ControlThe core controls are fine, but dealing with pointing and shaking stuff around all the while is a mess.

3.6

Music
/ Sound FX / Voice ActingNothing fancy here.

3.7

Play ValueTons of levels to explore even though they're occasionally repetitive.

3.4

Overall Rating -
FairNot an average. See Rating legend above for a final score breakdown.

Game Features:

Use your Wii Remote and Nunchuk skills to complete levels.

10 distinctive environments with 100+ levels.

Co-op campaign mode available throughout the entire game with alternating puzzle playing/fighting using tools such as hammers, nets and upgrades.

Up to four players, "Party Play" has multiple group mini-games.

Introduces 8 + level bosses such as "The Giant Squid" who will throw and block your falling shapes in epic puzzle boss fights.

Connect the Wii version to Roogoo Attack for Nintendo DS to unlock additional levels in all 10 environments on both Wii and DS versions.